Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus calls for water management reform

The Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus (OPOK) has formally requested the implementation of strict safety measures regarding the management of national water reserves. This demand coincides with the parliamentary debate over a new legislative bill concerning water governance, with the federation emphasizing that current extraction and storage practices require better oversight to ensure long-term environmental sustainability.

OPOK advocates for a unified national management system that integrates all sources, including dams, groundwater, desalination plants, and recycled water. The federation warns that the proposed legislation must include robust safeguards to prevent environmental degradation and effectively penalize violations. They argue that Cyprus should move away from fragmented, emergency-based decisions in favor of a centralized planning strategy driven by reliable, updated data.

The federation maintains that the modernization of water management law is necessary, but insists that the bill should not be passed without establishing a comprehensive framework for coordination among all competent authorities. No specific timeline for the legislative vote was disclosed in the provided reports, but the organization remains focused on pushing for these structural changes to prevent future water shortages.